Meredith Vieria Offers Career, Life Advice to Ossining Teens

It’s good to have a mentor, especially a super-successful one who happens to be easy to talk to.

Meredith Vieria, who lives in the Rivertowns, sat with Ossining High School students in late October, launching a new Career Mentoring Program from The Brieant Center. The center aims to provide after-school programs, at no charge, for Ossining youth in middle school and high school focusing on conflict resolution, leadership, mentorship and peer mediation.

Vieria, former co-host for The Today Show, co-anchor for CBS Morning News, and host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, “inspired the students by giving her expert advice on job and life skills needed in a future career in television,” writes center executive director Norman Fulton.

The students were asked to write their comments afterwards. Here are some of the many things they took away from this special experience:

• "Meredith's advice was simple, be nice, work hard, and take the opportunities that come to you." Chioma, 9th grade
• "It's always a challenge, but put your personal views aside.' Robert, 11th Grade
• "Being human is one of the most important parts of journalism. You become family to your viewers." Benjamin, 10th Grade
• "'Don't ever think you are entitled to anything.'  I love how real and blunt her advice is. So inspirational in a different way, she stumbled into this random career, but made it work. Didn't know what she was doing, had a real success story. 'Be nice, above everything else, even if you don't want to be.'" Martine, 12th Grade
• "Be nice above everything else." Paul, 11th Grade
• "'Work hard, nothing comes easy.' I love her honesty and words of wisdom, they are deeply appreciated."  Jhada, 9th Grade.
• "I am also incredibly shy, it helps bring me out of my shell. Television is really humbling. If you are a good writer, you tell a story."  Anum, 10th Grade